Storage and dispenser box for small articles

ABSTRACT

A storage and dispenser box for small articles comprising a container and cover therefore. The container holds the small articles therein and has an open top face, lateral side walls, front and rear walls and a bottom wall. The cover has a top wall, side walls depending from the top wall and short bottom elements inwardly protruding from the free ends of the side walls. When opening or closing the container open top face with the cover, the cover side walls slidably engage the container side walls on the outer side thereof and the cover short bottom elements slidably engage the container bottom wall on the outer side thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/834,485 on which priority is based and which in incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a storage and dispenser box. More specifically but not exclusively the present invention is concerned with a storage and dispenser box for small articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Boxes for small articles that can be used to package candies, pills, free flowing products, condoms and the like are well known in the art. A drawback with many such dispenser boxes is that they do not sufficiently protect certain small articles such as condoms and do not provide for a way to open and close the storage and dispenser box without damaging the article contained therein.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a storage and dispenser box for small articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A storage and dispenser box for small articles comprising: a container for holding the small articles and having an open top face, lateral side walls, front and rear walls and a bottom wall; and a cover for covering the container and having a top wall, side walls depending at the proximal edges thereof from the top wall and short bottom elements inwardly protruding from the distal edges of the side walls, wherein when opening or closing the container open top face with the cover, the cover side walls slidably engage the container side walls on the outer side thereof and the cover short bottom elements slidably engage the container bottom wall on the outer side thereof.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the storage and dispenser box of the present invention in accordance with a non-restrictive illustrative embodiment thereof showing the cover and container of the box in a separated position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the storage and dispenser box pf FIG. 1 in an assembled position;

FIG. 3 is front elevational view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is front elevational view of the cover of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the storage and dispenser box of the present invention in accordance with another non-restrictive illustrative embodiment thereof showing the cover and container of the box in a separated position;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT

Generally, stated the invention provides a storage and dispenser box for small articles, such as condoms for example. The box includes a container having an open top face and a cover having side walls depending therefrom that slidably engage the bottom side of the container when opening and closing the cover. The cover can include a recess at a front side thereof adjacent to the open top face which allows easier access to the articles contained therein.

With reference to the appended drawings, non-restrictive illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described so as to exemplify the invention and by no means limit the scope thereof.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 a first illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be described.

The storage dispenser box 10 for small articles includes a container 12 and a cover 14.

The container 12 is a generally rectangular body having an opened top face 16, front and back walls 18 and 20 respectively, lateral side walls 22 and 24, and a bottom wall 26. The front wall 18 includes a recessed opening portion 27 that facilitates the removal of stacked articles.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, edge 28 is defined between side wall 22 and bottom wall 26 and edge 30 is defined between side wall 24 and bottom wall 26. Both edges 28 and 30 are provided with a curved structure. Turning back t FIG. 1, the contour edge 32 surrounding the open face 16, the front corner edges 34 and 36, defined between the front wall 18 and the lateral side walls 22 and 24 respectively as well as the back corner edges 38 and 39, defined between the back wall 20 and the lateral side walls 22 and 24 respectively, are also provided with curved structures. The front edge 35 defined between the front wall 18 and the bottom wall 26 and the opposite back edge 33 (see FIG. 4), defined between the back wall 20 and the bottom wall 26, also have respective curved configurations.

The side walls 22 and 24 and the front and back walls 18 and 20 define a containing space S for containing and dispensing small articles therein via open top side 16 and the recessed opening 27.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the cover 14 includes a top wall 40 for fully covering the open top face 16 of the container 12. Side walls 42 and 44 depend from the top face 40 at the proximal edges 46 and 48 thereof and substantially span the width and length of side walls 22 and 24 of the container 12. The walls 42 and 44 have respective short longitudinal members 50 and 52, inwardly projecting from their respective distal edges 54 and 56.

The cover 14 also includes an open front face 58 for receiving the container 12 therein as will be explained herein.

A tongue member 60 extends from the top face 40 at a proximal end 62 thereof and having inward extension 64 at an opposite end 66 thereof. The inward extension 64 defines a hook acting as a mounting element. The tongue member 60 is moveable about the bent proximal end 62 as shown by arrow X in FIG. 6. The cover 14 also includes a back wall 68, which in another configuration can be an open face. The back wall 68 includes a longitudinal inwardly protruding member 69 at its distal end for slidably engaging the underside of the bottom container wall 26. Member 69 connects members 50 and 52 and together define an opening 70.

The container also includes edges with a curved configuration to match that of the container edges described above. As such, edges 46, 48, 54, 56 as well as back edges 70 (between walls 40 and 68) and 72 (between wall 68 and member 69) are provided with curved configurations.

In operation, the cover 14 is mounted to the container 12 so as to cover the top open face 16 in order to enclose articles therein. The cover 14 is thus moved onto the container 12 receiving this container 12 via its open front face 58. Thus, the side walls 42 and 44 of the cover 14 slide along side walls 22 and 24, respectively, of the container 12; simultaneously, the inward extensions 50 and 52 of the cover 14 slide along the bottom wall 26 of the container 12 until the back wall 20 of the container 12 abuts the back wall 68 of the cover 14.

In this way the tongue member 60 hangs flush along the front face 18 of the container 12. The hook 64 can be lockingly inserted into a mutual mating recess 74 (see FIG. 4) formed at the bottom wall 26 of the container 12, in order to releasably lock the cover 14 onto the container 12, thereby ensuring that enclosed articles do not escape from the space S. It should be noted that planar indentation 80 is provided on the front wall 18 of the container 12 adjacent to the recessed opening 27 to provide a insert space for the body of tongue member 60.

When the user wishes to have access to a small article within space S, the user releases the hook 64 from the recess 74. The user will then slidably move the container 12 out of cover 14 thereby having access to the space S as well as any articles contained therein.

With reference to FIG. 7, a storage dispensing box 100 in accordance with a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Box 100 is substantially similar to box 10, hence, only the differences thereof will be discussed for concision purposes only.

Box 100 includes a cover 114 having inward protruding members 150 and 152 and a container 112 having bottom wall 126. The inward protruding members 150 and 152 and the bottom wall 126 include mutually engaging elements. More specifically, the bottom wall 126 includes locating elements 102 and 104 which respectively and slidably engage guides 106 and 108 respectively. In this example, the locating elements 102 and 104 are downward protrusions or cams and the guides 106 and 108 are recessed rails or longitudinal slots.

The storage dispensing boxes 10 and 100 can be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes and be made in a variety of materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic and the like without limitation thereto. The design and configuration can be varied in accordance with the present invention.

Various small articles can be placed within the space S in a particular embodiment it is condoms that are placed within the space S.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention as defined herein. 

1. A storage and dispenser box for small articles comprising: a container for holding the small articles and having an open top face, lateral side walls, front and rear walls and a bottom wall; and a cover for covering said container and having a top wall, side walls depending at the proximal edges thereof from said top wall and short bottom elements inwardly protruding from the distal edges of said side walls, wherein when opening or closing said container open top face with said cover, said cover side walls slidably engage said container side walls on the outer side thereof and said cover short bottom elements slidably engage said container bottom wall on the outer side thereof.
 2. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover further includes a tongue member depending from the front edge and having a mounting element for releasably engaging a corresponding mounting element of said container.
 3. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 2, wherein said tongue member is hinged to said cover top wall front edge.
 4. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 2, wherein said tongue member mounting element is a hook, said cover mounting element being a corresponding recess.
 5. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover front wall comprises a recessed opening.
 6. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 6, wherein said cover further includes a tongue member depending from the front edge and having a mounting element for releasably engaging a corresponding mounting element of said container thereby covering said recessed opening.
 7. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 6, wherein said tongue member is hinged to said cover top wall front edge.
 8. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 6, wherein said tongue member mounting element is a hook, said cover mounting element being a corresponding recess.
 9. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 7, wherein said container front wall comprises an indentation for receiving said tongue member.
 10. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises a back wall.
 11. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 10, wherein said cover top wall and said cover back wall define an edge therebetween, said edge being generally curved.
 12. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 10, wherein said cover back wall comprises a short inward projecting element configured to slidably engage said container bottom wall on the outer side thereof when opening or closing said container open top face with said cover.
 13. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 11, wherein said container back wall and said container short inward projecting element define an edge therebetween, said edge being generally curved.
 14. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises an open front face.
 15. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises an open back face.
 16. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 15, wherein said short bottom elements are connected via a short longitudinal element therebetween positioned at said open back face.
 17. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said short bottom elements are longitudinal members spanning the length of said cover side wall distal edges.
 18. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover short bottom elements and said cover side walls define respective edges therebetween, said respective edges being generally curved.
 19. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover top wall and said cover side walls define respective edges therebetween, said respective edges being generally curved.
 20. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 1, wherein said cover short bottom elements and said container bottom wall comprise respective mutually mating elements.
 21. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 20, wherein said short bottom elements mating elements are locating elements, said bottom wall mating elements being corresponding guides, said locating elements being configured to slide along said corresponding guides.
 22. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 20, wherein said short bottom elements mating elements are protrusions, said bottom wall mating elements being corresponding indentations, said protrusions being configured to slide along corresponding indentations.
 23. A storage and dispenser box according to claim 20, wherein said short bottom elements mating elements are indentations, said bottom wall mating elements being corresponding protrusions, said corresponding protrusions being configured to slide along said indentations. 